


Ruin

by HopefullyPessimistic



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, M/M, Multi, this is just a little drabble really, while I work on Finding A Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 17:22:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11696346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopefullyPessimistic/pseuds/HopefullyPessimistic
Summary: Jasper has always tried to make himself appear more confident than he actually is. He likes to goof off and tease and make people laugh. He’sgoodat it too. Good at putting on a show and making people feel at ease. He’s happiest when he can let his brain-to-mouth filter shut off and act like a total dork. And he’s lucky enough to have found two people who love that about him. Or at least he thought he had.





	Ruin

Jasper has always tried to make himself appear more confident than he actually is. He likes to goof off and tease and make people laugh. He’s _good_ at it too. Good at putting on a show and making people feel at ease. He’s happiest when he can let his brain-to-mouth filter shut off and act like a total dork. And he’s lucky enough to have found two people who love that about him. Or at least he thought he had.

It was a dumb joke said at the wrong time. They were having dinner at some fancy restaurant, Gwen looking stunning in a dark blue dress and David dressed to the nines in a gray suit. Jasper wanted to treat them, they had both seemed on edge earlier in the day and Jasper thought a romantic dinner might make them feel better. And it did…at first. They held hands while they ordered and played footsie under the table. It was sweet, it was romantic, it was completely perfect. And then Jasper ruined it. The worst part was that he couldn’t even remember what exactly he said. All he remembered was that after he said it Gwen and David got quiet. Jasper tried to lighten the mood again, but nothing helped. He ended up driving them home in silence. When they got there David and Gwen went upstairs to change while Jasper moved to put away their leftovers. It was when he went upstairs that he heard it.

“He ruins everything!” 

Jasper paused on the top of the staircase. That was Gwen’s voice.

“Gwe-”

“I just wanted one night without him ruining the mood. Is that too much to ask?”

“He didn’t mean to.”

“I know that! But aren’t you tired of it too?”

David didn’t answer and that was enough for Gwen. For Jasper too. Swallowing, Jasper carefully made his way back downstairs. He clenched his shaking hands and took a deep breath. He was annoying them? Okay, that was…that was okay. He could fix it. He just had to stop joking so much. He could fix this. He wouldn’t ruin anything anymore.

He goes quiet. No more jokes, no more pickup lines, no more stupid memes that cause them to groan and roll their eyes. It’s hard and he slips up a few times, but he keeps reminding himself that it’ll be better this way. He worries that maybe they think he doesn’t appreciate them enough so he buys them things: an expensive notebook for Gwen, a new bird-feeder for David, flowers sent to their work. Jasper makes sure not to go too far though. He doesn’t leave a dorky little doodle in Gwen’s notebook or paint David’s birdhouse some obnoxious color. He makes sure that the cards for their bouquets are romantic, no cheesy pickup lines or joking innuendos. Nothing that would normally scream Jasper. He doesn’t want _anything_ to scream Jasper. Jasper is annoying. Jasper ruins things. But he won’t. Not anymore.

At home he smiles, he sits by them and listens to them tell about their day. He doesn’t joke, he bites back the urge to tell David to challenge the new lunch lady to a duel or for Gwen to set her desk on fire as a show of dominance. By the end of the day the inside of his cheek is swollen from him constantly chewing on it, but he doesn’t care. He’s fixing himself.

When they lay down at night, the covers drawn, Jasper watches them quietly, touches them, loves them, drinks in every touch. He makes sure to be silent. No teasing words or over-dramatic reactions to seeing their bare skin, no over the top voices or groan-inducing innuendos. He stays serious, does whatever they want from him. He’s sensual. He’s romantic. He’s everything they want…He hopes.

They pull him aside after a few days, David fretful and fidgety and Gwen stern-faced with clenched fists. Worried and trying not to cry against worried and fearful. And Jasper tries to smile, promises them everything’s fine, but no one believes him and his act isn’t _working_ and they keep pushing and prodding until he cracks. Until his voice gets shaky and the tears well up and apologies spill from his mouth without his permission.  
"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I-I’m _trying_ okay, I can fix this! Just don’t leave…“ And he’s sobbing now, an ugly fucking wreck that they shouldn’t have to put up with, but he’s terrified of losing them. They’ve finally figured out that they don’t need him and he can’t handle it, can’t be selfless, can’t let them go without _trying_ , but it’s not _working_!

"Jasper, darling what are you apologizing for?” David asks, his voice as sweet as ever and somehow that stings more than if he had shouted. 

“Y-You don’t have to lie Davey, I heard you two. I know…I know I ruin everything.” Jasper swallows and forces himself to look up at them. “B-But I’m trying okay? I’m trying to be better, I promise! I pro-promise, just _please_!” He’s crying again, his words reduced to broken pleas intermixed with apologies and promises to do better. To do anything they want so long as they stay. 

Then there are arms around him and a scent that can only be described as pure _Gwen_. He freezes, tenses in her hold because Gwen isn’t normally the one to initiate hugs. He lets out a shuddering sigh and collapses against her as if he was a puppet whose strings have been cut. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Jasp,” Gwen promises, holding him tighter as he shakes his head. “You _didn’t_.”

“We’re _so_ sorry! We never meant-we didn’t mean…” David stumbles over his words, apologies falling from his lips as he reaches for Jasper.

“We didn’t mean it,” Gwen begins, sounding as if she’s afraid he’s going to break. Maybe he is. “ I was upset-”

“Because I ruined dinner!” Jasper cuts her off. He doesn’t want to hear them _lie_.

“No, I was upset because of work and a bunch of other crap and I took it out on you.”

“And I’ve been upset because it’s going to be Max’s last year at camp and it feels wrong. But that’s no excuse for us to take it out on you. We love you Jasper, just as you are.” David promises as he takes Jasper’s hand.

“We don’t _want_ you to change. We like your dumb puns and finding doodles on every scrap of paper in the house. Besides, who else is going to watch trash TV with me and insult everyone’s life choices?” Gwen runs her fingers through his hair as she speaks, smiling slightly when Jasper huffs out a weak laugh. 

“We love you, Jasp,” David repeats in a whisper, pressing his forehead against Jasper’s. Jasper squeezes his hand while entwining his other with one of Gwen’s.

“I love you too.” Jasper breathes in shakily. Allows himself to relax again. To be Jasper. He looks up with with a cheesy grin, a little unsure, a little unstable, but unmistakably _Jasper_. “You know...our love’s so bright I’m tearing up from it.” 

David let out a relieved laugh while Gwen shakes her head and smirks, their hands squeezing a bit tighter.

That was more like it.

They spend the night curled up together. Jasper gets control of the TV and puts on the god awful Star Wars prequels, hesitantly starting to make stupid comments and relaxing when David laughs and Gwen joins in. The next day they all call off work and take Jasper to the art museum for a date while Max stays at Neil’s. Luckily Max has been so preoccupied with his music club that he hadn’t really been home to notice the growing tension between his parents. The date goes fine, Gwen and David stay on either side of Jasper, entwining their hands with his and letting him lead them wherever he wants as he gushes about one piece and bitching about others. 

They make more of an effort to show Jasper that he’s wanted. David giggles at his pickup lines and Gwen shoots back her own. When he goes out of his way to show them some horrible meme they groan dramatically, but do so with a smile. When he blasts an obscure remix to an old song David sings along with him while Gwen shakes her head and laughs, filming them dancing around.

It takes a while for things to go back to normal. For Jasper to feel like they aren’t just humoring him. That David and Gwen truly love him for just as he is. It takes a while, but it’s okay because it ends up bringing them closer together. They re-learn each other. Re-learn every single bit of what makes them _them_. Everything that makes them love each other. David is a tree, sturdy and dependable, and almost impossible to move when he sinks in his roots. Gwen is a slow burning fire, slowly growing warmer, cozier, ready to either relax or burn up at any given time. And Jasper…Jasper is _color_ , splotches of designs and feelings, ready to paint the world into something new. Something beautiful, something _fun_.

Jasper doesn’t ruin things, he makes them brighter.


End file.
